Method of forming axle-housings.



c. J. MOGAN & R. B. BROOK.

METHOD OF FORMING AXLE HOUSINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1913.

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CHRISTOPHER J. MOGAN AND RICHARD E. BRO CK, 0F CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO PITTSBURGH STEEL PRODUCTS 00., OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF FORMING AXLF-HOUSINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 191 1.

Application filed March 12. 1913. Serial No. 753,827.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHRISTOPHER J. um and RIOHARDE. Bnocx, citizens of the United States, and residents of Char lei-oi. in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Forming Axle-Housings; and we do hereby declare the followin to be a full, .clear, and exact description t iereof.

()ur invention relates to a method for making axle-housings for automobiles.

The invention may be said to relate more particularly to making rear axle-housings for automobiles in which the axle-housing is provided at the mid-portionwith an enlargement for forming a housing for the gearing.

The object of our invention is to provide an axle-housing ofthis character made of a section of tubing either seamless or butt or lap-weld, so that it is an integral structure not made up of separate parts, and therefore much stronger and more durable.

Our invention consists, generally stated, in taking a section of tubing having a slotted flattened portion, expanding the metal at the slot outwardly in opposite directions, thereby forming a swell on opposite sides of the axle and forming a housing to receive the gearing and the axles.

In the accompanying drawing, we "have illustrated the several steps of our improved method in which Figure 1 represents a suitable section of tubing from which the axle may be formed;

Fig. 2 shows the end portions of the tubing slightly reduced; Fig. 3 shows the same section wit-h the-portion intermediate the reduced ends flattened at opposite sides to form a substantially rectangular cross section and with slots formed in two of the oppositesides of said flattened portion; Figs. 1, 5 and 6 show end views of Figs. 1, 2 and 3; Fig. 7 is a view of suitable apparatus for giving-the initial stretch to the metal at the slotted rtion of the tube; Fig. 8 is a view of a suitable die and former for giving the final shape to the axle; Fig. 9 is a like view showing the metal expanded to fill the die; and Fig. 10 is a view of the finished axle.

In carrying out our improved method, we prefer to start with a section of tubing such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, and marked with the numeral 2.. This is preferably a section of drawn seamless steel tubing hot finished or cold, and of suitable diameter and gage. The end portions 3 of the sect-ion of the tube are reduced as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. .This reduction may be accomplished by passing the end-portions through a die and then backing the die off the tube leaving the mid-portion 3 of the original diameter and shape. The blank 2 is then introi'luced into a suit-able die which reforms the circular port-ion 3 into the substantially rectangular portion 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, and slots 5 are formed in said squared portion in two of the opposite sides thereof.

The axle-housing blank in this form is then operated on by the machine shown in Fig. 7 which comprises the cylinders 6 with the plungers 7, and connected to said plungers are the expanders 8 which have the inwardly projecting portions 9 which are adapted to enter the slots 5 of said'axle-housing blank. When introduced into the slots as shown in Fig. 7, the plungers 7 move inwardly in the cylinders and the expanders act to stretch or expand the metal out into substantially the shape shown in Fig. 8, the slot being widened and oblong in form. The housing axle-blank is then inserted in a suitable die 10 with the matrix 11 conforming to the shape which is to be imparted to the central portion of the axle-housing and when inserted in this die, the formers 12 and 13 are inserted in the matrix of the die, the inner end of the former 12 engaging the metal as indicated in Fig. 8, and the formers 13 insorted to move longitudinally of the blank.

When the blank has been inserted in the die in this manner, a wedging-tool 14 of suitable construction is inserted and driven in wardly, so as to force the forming blocks 12 outwardly, expanding the metal out in the matrix 11 to conform with the shape 'thereof while the forming blocks 13 are moved slightly longitudinally of the blank to give the proper shape to the metal, so that when the expanding is completed the finished axlehousing will have the appearance shown in Fig. 10, the extreme end portions 15 having been reduced by swaging. In this manner we provide an axle-housing of the character indicated having the enlarged central portion with the opening therein and forming a housing for the difl'erential gears, the axlehousing being formed of a single piece of metal, which is preferably tubular in form, whether we start with the tube in the form shown in Fig. 1 or whether the tube is originally made up in the form shown in Fig. 3 or'other shape. By making the axlehousing of cold drawn seamless tubing, there is no line ofweld in the axle-housing, and consequently a very strong, durable axle-housing is provided which has no weak points.

What we claim is:

1. The method of making axle-housings, consisting in forming slots in opposite sides of a. flattened portion of a tubular blank, and stretching the metal outwardly at the slotted portion thereby forming an enlargement.

2. The method of making axle-housin s, consisting in slotting the opposite sides 0 a flattened portion of a tubular blank, and stretching the metal from within outwardly from both sides of the slotted portion, therea single piece of hot finished or by enlarging the metal to points beyond the original outlines of the flattened portion.

3. The method of making axle-housings, consisting in slotting opposite sides of a flattened portion of a tubular blank, enlarging said slot to form an oblong opening, and finally applying a force from Within to further stretch the metal thereby forming a rhomb-like opening with rounded apices'.

4. The method of making axle-housings, consisting in slotting a tubular blank, and stretching the metal outwardly from both sides of the slotted portion, thereby forming an enlargement. e

In testimony whereof we, the said CHRIS- TOPHER J. MOGAN and RICHARD E. BROOK, have hereunto set our hands.

CHRISTOPHER J. MOGAN' RICHARD E. BROOK. 'Witnesses:

ROBERT C. TOTTEN, JOHN F. WILL.

slot and projecting the I 

